1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to vendor/customer support and management systems and in particular to improved usage of the Internet for collaborative remote support between the customer and a vendor's support representative.
2. Discussion of Related Art
It is widely known that computing systems (hardware and/or software systems) sometimes encounter problems during their operation that require remedial action. A large class of such problems are easily solved by users or customers without requiring further information or intervention by a vendor of the failing system. Such problems are frequently referred to as “self solve” problems. Other more complex problems may require assistance from knowledgeable support personnel associated with the vendor of the failing system. Typically, such knowledgeable support personnel are located in a centralized facility handling such support issues via telephone and/or computer communications.
Such support and communications from knowledgeable personnel via telephone communications give rise to number of problems. One problem in such oral support communications is obtaining correct information from a customer premises to permit reliable diagnosis and resolution of a problem. Often such information is highly technical and detailed in nature and may be difficult for a customer to readily identify and obtain on behalf of the support personnel. Further, such detailed technical information can be erroneously communicated by the customer thereby misleading the support personnel in attempts to diagnose and resolve the problem.
Other known techniques attempt to resolve the problems of oral telephonic communications for such support functions by a providing direct computer to computer communications between the customer's computing system and the support personnel of the vendor. Such a direct computer to computer communication link permits accurate retrieval of detailed technical information required by knowledgeable support personnel of the vendor. Detailed, complex technical data regarding the customer's system or use of the system can be more readily obtained by such direct computer communication techniques then by telephonic requests between support personnel and a customer. Further, the information so acquired is more likely to be technically accurate then information manually obtained and communicated orally by the customer.
Such computer to computer communication links are, in general, presently practiced in the art in accordance with one of two methods. A direct point-to-point dial-up connection using modems is a first common technique wherein both parties utilize modems and a standard telephone communication link to connect to computers. Well-known commercially available software may be used for controlling such point-to-point direct computer communication links such as pcAnywhere. Such direct modem-based communication links are often prohibited by corporate security policies within the customer's enterprise. Such security policies are intended to preclude exactly such external communications by unauthorized third parties. Further, such direct point-to-point modem communication links impose a significant burden on both the vendor's support personnel and customers to set up and configure the link for establishing and conducting the desired communications.
A second well-known computer to computer communications link technique solves some of the above problems by utilizing the Internet for the computer communications link. Use of the Internet for computer to computer communications is well-known and widely available thereby obviating the burden of configuring and managing a point-to-point modem telephonic communication link. One significant difficulty that arises even in this simpler approach is the presence of security firewalls implemented within the customer enterprise and/or the vendor's support center. These firewall devices or systems are specifically designed to prevent such incoming communications from external, unauthorized users. Most enterprises that utilize such firewall protection are unwilling or unable to alter the configuration of the firewall security to permit limited incoming computer communication links for purposes a providing support by vendor. These limitations effectively prevent direct network communications between the vendor's support personnel and the customer computers.
Similar issues arise in the context of managing a large enterprise of distributed computing systems. Even an in-house manager of such an enterprise may have difficulty accessing a remote user's computing systems for purposes of managing that system where enterprise-wide firewall security measures are implemented.
It is evident from the above discussion that the need exists for any improved communication architecture that permits flexible, convenient, reliable communications directly between the customer's computing or software systems and a vendor's knowledgeable support personnel.